In the last book of the New Testament, the Book of Revelation, the “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” are described in 6:1. Artist Sharlene Lindskog-Osorio has a painting titled “Four horses of the apocalypse” (Pictured to the left). This painting alludes to the four horsemen of the apocalypse because the four horses that the horsemen rode were red, black, white, and pale, like the ones in the picture. Denis Martindale wrote a poem about the four horsemen and how he sees them bringing the apocalypse. It is titled “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse” and one line describes how the apocalypse would catch people by surprise. The line goes “And so they moved, one thought in mind, to bring the world despair, Until the time four horsemen find their victims unaware!” A popular underground rapper, tech n9ne, wrote a rap called unfair. Tech n9ne likes to talk himself up in his raps, and that is exactly what he does when he says “The four horsemen of course we forced to be coarse when you talkin’ taller when y’all gettin the short end!” Here he introduced himself and his friends as the four horsemen, attempting to make himself seem more intimidating to whoever he is talking to, and maybe suggesting he will bring some kind of pain or destruction, like the horsemen from the bible. Ross Ashcroft, a political activist from England, made a documentary called “Four Horsemen”. It is about how the way the western style of business and government is changing for the worse. The title infers that the change is somewhat like the apocalypse, or some type of end to the better style of government and business. The four horsemen allusion is generally used to instill fear or emphasize bad things happening in general.
BK
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust” is found in Genesis 3:19. It is part of a burial service, and the message is that we started with Adam who was made from dust and we end as dust when we die and get buried. In a song by Linkin Park called Skin to Bone, one line is repeated throughout the song: “Skin to bone, steel to rust, ash to ashes dust to dust, let tomorrow have its way with the promises we made, ash to ashes, dust to dust.” In the song, the allusion aids the message that you have to deal with your actions by emphasizing the ominous message of “ash to ashes, dust to dust.” The Cancer Society of Finland released an anti-smoking ad as part of their campaign (below left).
The message here is emphasized by the allusion because it is saying that the ashes of the cigarette will make you turn into ashes, or die. In the poem “Ashes to ashes, dust to dust” Alfred Castner King writes about the reactions of different cultures to death and what death means. He writes “Nor silent lips disclose their trust; Ashes to ashes, dust to dust!" What he means here is that when someone dies they can’t tell secrets, and he reinforces the message by making an allusion to the bible. An oil painting artist, Fulvio Di Piazza, paints using inspiration from the bible. This painting (shown below right), titled “Ashes to ashes”, utilizes the allusion it makes because it depicts both ashes and dust in the shape of a human head. This is because the passage is about humans and our death. This allusion is usually depicted very seriously.
BK
The phrase “Camel through the eye of a needle” appears in Matthew 19:24, but it is also in Mark 10:25 and Luke 18:25. It is used to compare the easiness of a rich man going to the realm of God to the easiness of a camel going through the eye of a needle, the latter being easier. Jade Weston, a blogger, writes “One cannot drive a camel through the eye of a needle. So we have to find some other means. The only way is to come back to the sheer simplicity of examining ourselves. That brings us to the practice of meditation.” She uses the bible phrase to express her opinion on how we should simplify our lives and relax by meditating. The rapper Shad has song titled “Remember to remember”. This song is about the hardships in his life, and part of it goes “This camel struggle to squeeze, through the eye of a needle, some eyes struggle to see, but we all struggle for freedom”. Here he uses the allusion to explain how his struggles and everyone’s struggles can almost seem like a camel trying to fit through a needle. Vladimir Kush depicts many bible scenes in his paintings, one of which is titled “Eye of the needle” (pictured above left). I like this painting a lot, and to me this painting is showing how if we are all united, and we give up greed and resentment, we can all get through the eye of the needle and enter the realm of God. In the poem “A Gloss on the Gospels, Concerning the Rich”, Henry George Fischer writes “With all of their boodle, the rich cannot wheedle, a camel to steal through the eye of a needle”. In this poem, Fischer is backing up the idea that it is harder for the rich to get into heaven. This allusion in general is depicted seriously but comically at the same time. It is depicted seriously because of the pondering of going or not going to heaven, but comically because it is almost funny to think about attempting to put a camel through the eye of a needle when comparing it to a rich man getting into heaven.
BK
